Stringed instrument



w. A. v'msou.

STRINGED INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED 020.21, 1919.

1,387,567, v Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET l- INVENTOR WITNESSES W A VIUV-sozv,

A TTORNEYS W. A. VINSON.

STRINGED INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED 050.21, 1919.

1,3 7,567. I PatentedAug. 16,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR WITNESSES 1 W. I J'NJOM A TTORNEYS To allwhom it may concern:

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM ALoNzo VINSON, or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

s'rnmcnn INSTRUMENT.

Be it known that I, WILLIAM ALoN zo VIN- soN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stringed Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention Is an improvement in stringed instruments, and hasfor its object to provide an instrument of the character specified by means of which a large variety of sounds and of musical tones may be produced, and which may be operated in avariety of ways.

"A further object of the invention is to produce an instrument wherein the'tension of the strin may'be constantly, varied to produce sliding tones, commonly known as azz.

In the drawin Figure 1 is a rent view of the device;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view;

Fig. 3 is an end view;

Fig. 4 is avertical section through the dia hragm;

ig. 5 is a section on the'line 5--5 of Fig. 2;

ig. 6 is a side view of a modified construction of instrument;

Fig. 7 is a vertical section of a modified form of diaphragm;

Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of the sound box;

Fig. 9 is a side view of a portion of the neckshowing the fret string;

Fig. 10 is asectional view showing th manner of attaching the eye. I

In the present embodiment of the invention a sound box is provided,consisting, as

shown more particularly in Fig." 4, of a concave disk 1 havingthe diaphragm 2. connected with the edges of the disk, by bending the edges of the diaphragm over the edge of the disk as indicated at 3. The disk 1 has, a central opening 4' and to the disk at'the' openin is secured a tubular member 5, the said tu ular member having a mar-i" ginal flange 6 which fits against the face of the disk, about the opening, the disk being flattened for a slight distance beyond the opening, and a horseshoe shaped clamping member 7 is provided, the said clamping member being secured to the. disk and en-' gaging over the flan to hold the tubular member 5 tothe dis The clamp 7 is secured to the disk, and'the tubular member Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 16, 1921 Application filed December 27, 1919.v Serial No. 347,783. g

v apart from the disk to permit this insertion.

An amplifier 8, inthe form of a horn, is

connected with the'tubular member 5, the

end of the horn fitting in the tubular memher, and being held thereto in any suitable or desired manner, as, for instance, by the clamp 9 shown in Figs. 1 and 3. This clamp is in the form of similar sections which embrace the horn at the small end, and they are clamped on the horn by means of bolts and nuts 9. The clamp is supported in the manner to be presently described. A washer 10 is secured to the center of the diaphragm on the opposite face from the disk, and this washer carries an eye 11, to which may be connected a flexible member 12, as, for instance, a string, to vibrate the diaphragm.

The air vibrations set up in the sound box sliding it through the fingers. The string may beheld with one hand and plucked with the other, or it may be drummed upon with sticks, padded if desired. The pitch of the sound produced by the instrument is varied by var ing the tension of the string.

In igs. 1 and 2, that end of the string remote from the eye 11 winds upon a key 13 supported by a neck 16 connected to a post 17 which supports the sound box and amplifier in a manner to be presently described, and this neck has a handle or grip 15 at its outer end. A bridge 43 is provided adjacent to the key 13, and between the same and the sound box over which the string passes. I This post17 is connected 'to a seat 19'by upper and lower bars 20 and 21 The neck 16 is pivoted at 22 wa post to swing on avertical axis, and it will be evident that by swinging theneck laterally the string 12 may be relaxedor tightened, becausethe pivot pin 22 is lateral with respect to the string. The neck isalso pivoted on a horizontal axis23, the neck being sectional,

or when it is swung laterally, the cord 12 will be tightened, and when the neck is returned to normal, straight position, the cord will be relaxed. Thus, by swinging the neck either laterally or vertically, the tension of the cord may be varied to vary the pitch of as a fret against which the string may bepressed to shorten the effective length there of, to raise the pitch of the sound produced- A drawer 2a is provided in the seat, for containing extra parts, strings or the like. It will be understood that the strings may be ordinary cord, waxed cord, catgut, wire or any other suitable material. The dia phragm may be of any suitable material, and the string may be plucked or beaten to actuate the diaphragm to produce sound.

In order to produce heavy bass notes the string will be heavy, while to produce treble notes the string will be lighter.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 6 the sound box 25, which corresponds to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and which is connected to the amplifier 26 in the same manner as the sound box 1 and 2 is connected to the amplifier 8, has connected with the diaphragm thereof a string 27, provided at its free end with a ring 28, or other form of grip. The string is connected to the diaphragm in the same manner as the string 12 is connected to the diaphragm 1-2, and

instead of providing a permanent ai'ichorage for the end of the string the anchorage is provided by the hand of the operator engaging the grip 28. The operation is the same except that the player controls the tensioning of the string directly, and he may also shorten the string by grasping it at different points.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 7 the sound box comprises adisk 29 and a diaphragm 30, the disk having a marginal flange 31 extending toward the convex face, and the edge of the diaphragm 30 is clamped about this flange, somewhat similar to the mounting of a banjo head, by means of rings 32 and 33 which are secured together by screws 34, and to an outwardly extending marginal rib 31 on the flange 31.

The edge of the diaphragm is held between the rings and between the ring 33 and the flange 31. The screws 34 are engaged by nuts 34:" on theunder side of the rib 31*, and it will be evident that by means of the nuts,

which have radial openings for receiving a tool to turn the same, the tension of the head or diaphragm may be adjusted.

The tubular member or mouthpiece 35 is screwed into a nipple 36 which encircles the opening at the center of the disk, and a gasket 37 is arranged between the mouthpiece and the disk. The string is connected to an eye 38 at the center of the diaphragm, and this eye is connected to a reinforcing plate 39 on the opposite side of the diaphragm, he connection passin through the dia- 1 gm. Thesimple form of device shown n Fig. (5 can he played in conjunction with the frame illustrated in F 2. by holding the born 26 in the hand, engaging the rings with the frame, then drawing the string taut or to the desired degree oi tension. and for this purpose pegs 1 may in the top of the post. or other suitable places, for attaching or anchoring the strings of other jazz .aphones of the simple type shown in Fig. (3., by placing the ring S over the pegs. Two or'more of these pegs are provider. for the purpose of attaching two or more strings, since two or more be pri'ividc d strings may be anchored to the diaphragm of the same jazzaplmne in eye 11, ing anchored at two points a short distance apart. they may be played simultaneously and two tones be jazzed at the same time. If desired, the eye il may be attached di rectly to the'diapln'agni in the manner shown in Fig. 10.

The invention in its simplest form consists of the sound box comprising the diaphragm and a casing for inclosing a body of air at one face thereof. and having a suitable amplifier at the opposite side from the diaphragm, together with the string or strings anchored to the diaphragm. A. very great variety of sounds or musical tones may he produced upon the instrument and they may be produced in a variety of ways, the variation being accomplished by, varia tions in the tension of the string or by varying the length of the string.

The device as a'whole may be produced at a low price and is not diilicult to learn to play. In practice, it has been found that the opening in the sound box should be from one-sixth to one-fourth the diameter of the diaphragm, although it may be larger or smaller if desired. i

hen bowed with a violin bow, the instrument produces a tone similar to that of a violin, but by varying the thickness or length of the string or the tension ZLVVBI'Y great variety of efi'ect-s may be obtained.

I claim:

1. An instrument comprising a sound box having one wall thereof formed by a flexible diaphragm and having an opening at the opposite wall, an amplifying horn detachably connected with the sound box at and, be-

the opening anda cord connected with the diaphragm at the center thereof for vibrating said dia hragm when the cord is struck or plucke a support for the sound box and amplifier, and a neck pivoted to the support and having a key at the end remote from the sound box upon which the end of the string is wound, said neck being pivoted to swing laterally parallel with the plane of the diaphragm, the pivotal connection being lateral to the line of the string to vary the tension of the string when the neck is swung, said neck being also pivoted to swing at right angles to the plane of the diaphragm, the neck having a series of openings spaced longitudinally thereof and a peg adapted to engage one of the openings and the string for the purpose specified.

2. An instrument comprising a sound box havingone wall thereof formed by a flexible diaphragm and havin an opening at the opposite wall, an ampli ying horn detach a 1y connected with the sound box at the opening, and a cord connected with the diaphragm at the center thereof for vibrating said diaphragm when the cord is struck or plucked, a support for the sound box and amplifier, and a neck pivoted to the support and having a key at the end remote from the sound box upon which the end of the string is wound, said neck being pivoted to swing laterally parallel with the plane of the diaphragm, the pivotal connection being lateral to the line of the string to vary the tension of the string when the neck is swung, said neck being also pivoted to swing at right angles to the plane of the diaphragm.

3. An instrument comprising a sound box having one wall thereofiformed by a flexiblediaphragm and having an opening at the opposite wall, an amplifying horn detachably connected with the sound .box at the opening, a cord connected with the diaphragm at the center thereof for vibrating said diaphragm when the cord is struck or plucked, a support for the sound box and amplifier, and a neck pivoted to the support and having a key at the end remote from the sound box upon which the end of the string is wound, said neck being pivoted to swing laterally parallel with the plane of the diaphragm, the pivotal connection being lateral to the line of the string to vary the tension of the string when the neck is swung. c

4; An instrument comprising a sound box having a flexible diaphragm and a cord connected with the diaphragm for vibrating the diaphragm when the cord is plucked or I struck, a neck extending from the sound box, and having a key at the end remote from the sound box on which'the cord is wound, said neck being pivoted to swing to vary the tension of the string.

5. An instrument comprising a sound box having a flexible diaphragm and a cord connected with the diaphragm for vibrating the diaphragm when the cord is plucked or struck, a neck extending from the sound box, said neck being pivoted to swing at its free end to vary the tension of the string.

6. An instrument of the character specified, comprising a sound box having a flexible diaphragm, and a cord connected with the diaphragm for vibrating the same when the cord is plucked or struck, means for supporting the end of the string remote from the sound box, and means for varying at will the tension or" the string to vary the pitch of the note produced thereby.

7. An instrument of the character specifled, comprising a sound box having a diaphragm and a cord connected with the diaphragm for vibrating the same when the cord is plucked or struck, and manually 0 crating means for continuouslyvarying t e tension of the string for the purpose specified.

WILLIAM ALONZO VINSON. 

